Storage

• Something as simple as deciding on the height and location of wall cabinets. Consider the height of your ceilings and the height of all users. Also how many shelves you would like in each cabinet.

• Larder cabinets can often give you an entire Kitchen worth of storage in one cabinet. Hugely popular for those looking for a simple, clutter-free design but make sure it doesn't reduce your worktop space in doing so.

• Pull-out corner cabinet devices, integrated bins or even drawer inserts to store specific utensils/accessories that make every day life so much easier. However, adding too many of these can have an impact on overall cost.

Appliances, Sinks & Taps

• We always encourage our clients to buy quality when it comes to Appliances, Sinks & Taps. However, quality does not always mean the most feature-packed appliance or even the most expensive. But consider that these items have constant daily use and, in an ideal world, they should be able to meet the demands and to stand the test of time.

• Steel sinks are a low cost and stylish option but can look old and worn out quickly if they are not cared for correctly. Whereas a composite sink will not only offer superior resistance but is also a strong, durable option. Another way to add some character to a more classic-styled Kitchen would be to consider a porcelain sink. Perhaps even a Belfast or Butler-style sink. These are both strong and beautiful in appearance.

• Instant boiling water taps are becoming increasingly popular. So much so, that clients have often specified this as a must have before we have even began sketching design ideas. The benefits of these are lower water consumption/waste, less energy usage and not to mention... super convenient!

Worktops

A worktop has the ability to drastically alter the way a Kitchen looks and performs. If you are considering something like a solid surface or a stone worktop, it is also likely to be the single most expensive component to your new Kitchen. For this reason, it is quite a crucial decision to get right but nevertheless one of the most difficult.

Simply understanding the different properties of the various materials is difficult enough. Then factor in the almost endless colours/decors that are available, care and maintenance and also what is affordable within your individual budget, it can be quite overwhelming.

Below are 4 examples of popular options that all look, perform and are priced differently to each other

Laminate

It goes without saying that a Laminate worktop is the lowest in cost out of all of the materials. Made from a high density, glued particle board and laminated in a multi layer structure of various curable resins and high resistance decorative paper.

Laminates offer high impact resistance, moderate scratch resistance and heat resistance of up to 50°C. Jointed using a masons mitre or a butt-jointed method. Suitable for designing with inset or flush inset sinks.

You can also choose to have matching upstands/wall back splash panels, window cills and cabinets frontals made from the same decor, giving you a high design and coordinated look.

Wood

Using natural wood as a worktop can add a real premium-looking finish to any space. The most popular choice is of course Oak for it's durable properties, but also for the affordability that it brings.

However, recent trends have tended to use wood as a point of interest or a design feature rather than used as a single worktop material. Wood offers a unique natural beauty to any space, while also introducing a rustic design element and warmth. For example, wood can be used along side another worktop material (such as Quartz, Granite or Porcelain) to create a distinctive breakfast bar element to an island or peninsular design. Or perhaps used to attract the eyes with some simple shelving.

Each type of wood will perform differently, as there are softer woods and harder woods, but the way in which they are designed and also cared for, does not vary much from one material to another.

Incredibly durable and easy to maintain. Wood can last a lifetime and is tough at withstanding most everyday tasks. Another advantage of wood surfaces is that scratches and other imperfections can be sanded out or even filled. Simply oil or wax your worktop 1-2 times each year (depending on usage) and it will look great for many years to come.

Quartz

Quartz is available in many different grades, colours, decors and crispness of pattern. Each brand of Quartz will have their own unique selling features, product ranges and also price points, but as a rule of thumb, it is essentially an incredibly strong, durable, human-made stone worktop.

It is generally available in a choice of 20mm or 30mm solid thicknesses or it can be built up and formed into a much chunkier thickness of your choice. It also offers superb scratch and stain resistant properties and is heat resistant up to 150°C (please check manufacturer's care guide supplied with your worktop).

There can be a wide variety of difference when it comes to cost but these are usually related to the clarity of pattern and method of manufacture.

Quartz is compatible with under-mounted sinks, surface mounted taps and flush fit hobs.

Granite

Highly regarded as being one of the hardest materials on Earth, Granite is an igneous rock and just like wood, is a 100% natural product. For this reason, each slab can vary in terms of the appearance of pattern and also depth of colour.

Given that Granite is a natural stone, it is known for being a porous. However, this can vary based upon the colour (darker Granites tend to be less porous), the country of origin and also whether they are treated/sealed by the manufacturer/fabricator.

Like Quartz, Granite is usually available 20mm and 30mm thicknesses.

Granite worktops are compatible with under-mounted sinks, surface mounted taps, flush fit hobs and invisible hobs.

Porcelain

Porcelain has fast become one of the most popular choices for people with busy Kitchens that require a worktop that is truly imperishable. It is essentially a human-made, printed slab, which offers unparalleled pattern crispness, high impact and scratch resistance as well a being fully stain resistant due to its non porous properties.

Unlike Quartz and Granite, Porcelain is also fully heat resistant, frost proof and also available in thicknesses of 8mm, 12mm, 20mm and 30mm. It can also be built up to form much larger thicknesses and can be used to clad the inner sides of a under-mounted sink.

Such a versatile, hard wearing material that it can be used internally and externally, such as outdoor Kitchens, building cladding and garden slabs.

Porcelain can be installed with under-mounted sinks, surface mounted taps, flush fit hobs and invisible hobs.

Solid Surface

Unless you are from the industry, you may struggle to immediately recognise what Solid Surface even is... In basic terms, it is an acrylic worktop, often on a MDF or particle board core and offers a fully antibacterial property. Particularly popular for commercial Kitchens, Bathrooms and a wide variety of other internal public spaces.

Brands like Corian, Hanex or LG HiMacs can be designed into shapes or just simply moulded to form seamless upstands, back splashes, sinks and corner joins. The possibilities are almost endless with this impressive, design-led material that offers a non-porous, stain resistant worktop. Light scratches can also be buffed out and in the main, this worktop performs well against heat resistance (usually around the same temperature as Quartz) but please refer to your care and maintenance guide.

Solid Surfacing is compatible with under-mounted sinks, moulded sinks, surface mounted taps and flush fit hobs.